Ucharpli
Ucharpli is the homeworld of the Vaikan. It is located in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way in the Soul Nebula approximately 7,000 lightyears from Sol. Ucharpli formed about 5.2 billion years ago. While the planet used to be covered in many sprawling cities, a nuclear war that occurred several thousand years ago put the planet's ecosystem on the brink of extinction. Since then, Ucharpli has recovered, and today, large expanses of wilderness cover the surface while the majority of cities are underground or within cliff sides. In less than one billion years, Szon is expected to turn into a red giant which would destroy all life on the planet. However, Ucharpli's current age has allowed for some highly adaptable, advanced life forms. Orbit Ucharpli has two moons, Revlis'maan and Der'maan. The tidal pull of both moons has slowed down Ucharpli's night-cycle to 48.7 hours. Ucharpli's slight axial tilt gives it minor seasons, but are hardly variable in comparison to planets with a tilt greater that twenty degrees. The north pole will almost always point towards the star Aldenari, also known as the Guide Star. Every 50,000 years, the tilt will deviate away only slightly, but all of the constellations will remain in roughly the same position for years to come. The poles have two extreme seasons however: a day season and night season. Constellations There are many constellations in Ucharpli's sky. They are named after mythological figures. *Yoltox - A constellation in the shape of a dragon meant to symbolize conquest. The tip of the nose is Aldenari, the Guide Star, which has consistently appeared directly above the north pole which is meant to show the way to victory and true self-fulfillment. *Mother - A constellation in the shape of a woman believed to be the goddess Ema. She represents the beginning of life itself. *Krizael and Krizus - These are said to be two brothers arguing over the founding of the city of Krizen ultimately ending in Krizus's death. These two represent war. *Burwof - A powerful warrior wielding a sword and a bow. It represents the way of the warrior. *Panther - A constellation depicting a panther representing stealth and agility. *Parchment - A scroll that represents order and law. *Wolf - A constellation in the shape of a howling wolf representing the beasts of the world. *Lion - A constellation shaped like a lion meant to symbolize the majestic landscapes of the earth as well as the virtues of strength and honor. *Goblet - A constellation meant to symbolize the pleasures of the world such as a fresh goblet of wine. Atmosphere Ucharpli's high concentration of nitrogen will give the sky a purple tint during midday. During the afternoon and mornings, it will appear blue like most skies on a garden planet. During sunset, the sky will change to red and orange paired with intense wind storms. Ucharpli's lower levels of oxygen along with its energetic Class F star make its ozone layer dangerously weak. As a result, during the day, Ucharpli is blasted with Szon's intense UV rays which are lethal to all but the most adept of life. Climate Ucharpli has entered an ice age, and thus, much of its surface is covered in glaciers, with the equator and tropical regions being extremely dry and arid. It is incredibly difficult for carbon dioxide to get cycled throughout the planet as volcanic activity is confined almost exclusively to a single location. The planet is only 54% water, so many inland areas hardly get any rain or snow. The record high humidity on Ucharpli was 80% on one of the islands in the Shinereach Archipelago. Wherever the sun sets or rises on Ucharpli, wind storms appear as a result of temperature differences, which can exceed speeds of 60 mph. In deserts, dust storms occur, and in flat plains, tornados can appear almost every day. These windstorms are referred to as "dry storms" as rain is rarely ever paired with it. Lightning is also rare as a result, which combined with low oxygen levels, makes wildfires highly uncommon. Because these dry storms come at regular, predictable intervals, both tree analogues and Vaikan structures were built to adapt to these storms. Geography The more frequent tides have also eroded the edges of Ucharpli's continents to consist of steep cliffsides and mountains at the coasts. Islands have also been affected as well, with most of them consisting of lone mesas, jutting out of the ocean. These mountainous coastlines have created rain shadows resulting in grasslands and deserts in the inner areas. Continents Ucharpli has four large continents surrounded by oceans. The presence of two moons have caused immense tides that flooded and eroded the edges of the continents over time. Thus, beaches are a rarity, as most coastlines consist of steep cliff sides. Kyartula This is the largest continent as well as the one where Yallvus is located. It consists of a variety of biomes since it extends all the way from the north pole to the Sea of Diamonds. However, it is mostly grasslands, deserts and forests. Small reptiles ranging from the size of a mouse to a dog dominate here as Kyartula is more open that Tralgatar though larger creatures still roam about. Kytayur Kytayur is much rockier than Kyartula, but also sports one of the most whimsical and unique ecosystems such as mushroom forests to the west, icy waterfalls to the north and fiery plains to the south. Kytatyur is notable for being one of the only locations on the planet to have near constant volcanic activity. Tralgatar This is the smallest continent separated from Kyartula by the Reef Ocean. Being centered mostly about the equator it is tropical being almost entirely a rainforest. The largest creatures, often the size of dinosaurs and bigger, live here. Their large body mass makes it ideal for navigating the dense rainforests. Aggateya This continent is located at the south pole. It is also the coldest continent being a tundra, but it also has rich mineral deposits much like the surrounding Sea of Diamonds does. Small mammals reside here more on any other continent because of their ability to adapt to the colder weather. Oceans Sea of Diamonds This ocean borders Aggateya. The seafloor is covered in amazing crystal formations and variety of gems ranging from diamonds to rubies. Also in this ocean is one of the few locations known in the universe of the rarest gem which is often called Dragonrock which is the hardest known material in the universe. Reef Sea Magnificent coral reefs cover the bottoms of this ocean which surrounds the northern portion of Tralgatar. Most of the coral stands over 50 feet tall. Crystal formations are also found here, complementing the coral. Unlike the Sea of Diamonds however, there are nowhere near as many rare gems in this ocean. Ocean of Thought Bordering Tralgatar's west coast is the Ocean of Thought. Ruins have been found in this ocean which leads to many mysteries. Some have hypothesized ancient Vaikan built many temples, only to find them engulfed by a great flood. These underwater temples have also made home for many invertebrates. Abyssal Ocean Located in the eastern areas surrounding Kyartula is the deepest ocean as suggested by its name. Most of the ocean in fact consists of mesas dotting a high-pressure dark abyss. Bioluminescent, aquatic fungus is very common, and in some areas it is as bright as a city with electrical lighting. The deadly Salakuus is known to stalk these waters in large packs. Polar Seas A large ocean which covers the north pole. Ten Sacred Hills The Ten Sacred Hills of Ucharpli are the ten tallest mountains on the planet. *Cloudreach Island *Mt. Windhill *Mt. Umageishi *Levenslang's Cradle *Refuge Crater *Krayhan's Eyrie *Frostwater Falls *Great Ascension *Mt. Tarara *Aldapika Ecosystem There are trillions of different species across this varied planet. Creatures with the appropriate radiation protection dominate the day, while mammals dominate the night. Many animals are also a hybrid between reptiles and mammals, or repto-mammals. The ecosystem varies from continent to continent. Most life in the temperate and equatorial areas are reptiles, while the poles consist of mammals. The oceans on the other hand are filled with invertebrates. Several million years ago, a meteor collided with Ucharpli causing a storm that blocked the sun with debris and only the hardiest of creatures lived. However, this was only one of numerous mass extinctions in Ucharpli's history. Life on Ucharpli is a constant struggle for survival. Types of flora Because of the intense UV radiation, flora on Ucharpli has evolved to use sunlight as a secondary source. Surprisingly, most of Ucharpli's soil is very fertile with high amounts of nitrogen, so most plants derive their energy from there. Rather than primarily relying on growing taller, plants will spread outwards to cover more ground. Leaves and petals on plants are polygon shaped because their ridged structure gives them extra sun protection. The roots of plants have to grow far distances - sideways in cold environments and downwards in deserts. Ucharpli's severe sunset windstorms are often strong enough to knock down young trees. Because Szon is an F-class star, it has a great effect on the planet's flora regarding color. Not only does blue light emanate from the sun, but ultraviolet radiation is highly intense due to Ucharpli's relatively long day-night cycle. Plants will often range from blue to green depending on the altitude. *Trees - Trees are large plants with thick, tough stalks. **Discleaf - Discleaf trees trees large plants with thick, tough trunks to be able to withstand Ucharpli's regular windstorms. However, it uses these storms to its advantage. Its leaves consist of polygonal discs which not only carry out photosynthesis, but also contain seeds. When a leaf has matured, it will allow itself to break off with the wind carrying the seed to a new destination. **Rootspreader - Rootspreaders are trees that can appear to be a forest, but are actually one organism. This has allowed some Rootspreaders to live for tens of thousands of years. *Lichens - Primitive flora that can grow on rocks. Some have grown into trees. *Flowering plants - Flowering plants will rely on the spreading of pollen by other creatures as well as the wind. Types of land creatures Most life forms on Ucharpli are liquivores. That is, they secrete enzymes on the outside to turn their food into soupy material. Herbivores will often uproot plants to feed on their stalks. Carnivores usually have a set of grinding teeth to tear off meat chunks, while others have proboscises which are specialized for attacking unarmored prey. *Arthropod- A primitive yet versatile animal with a chitinous exoskeleton efficient at protecting itself from UV radiation. *Avian - A flying creature with smooth feathers designed to reflect radiation off of it. Avians will usually be blue in color as a result. While some arthropods are capable of flight, avians are far more specialized. *Kite - Invertebrate flying creatures that rely on thermal updrafts keep themselves aloft. They often have umbrella-like structures to serve as sun protection. *Reptile - A cold-blooded creature with thick-protective skin. They are adept to hunting during the day as they can withstand the UV radiation. *Fish - Creatures with soft, fleshy skin that dwell deep in the oceans. In the past, some managed to live on land as amphibians, but returned to the ocean when they were overpowered by far more adept creatures. *Mammal - Nocturnal creatures with large eyes adept for hunting at night. They cannot survive during the day since they lack the protective skin, but they can survive colder temperatures far more easily than reptiles because they have fur. *Repto-mammal - The most advanced organism on Ucharpli. They exhibit both a protective thick skin as well as the warm-bloodedness of a mammal. They are capable of hunting both during the day and night as a result. *Vulcanite - One of the earliest, large multicellular creatures on Ucharpli. Their carapaces are even harder than reptiles and are built to survive near volcanoes. Some Vulcanites instead secrete protective oil which is also heat protective. Population Ucharpli is home to several sapient species though the Vaikan emerged as the most dominant. Notably, Ucharpli is not as populated as many homeworlds and only has 4 billion inhabitants. Since the nuclear holocaust, most Vaikan within Ucharpli's vicinity instead live in orbit space stations and the planet's two moons. Natives *Vaikan - A race of blue humanoids that have become the most predominant race having expanded into space. *Yolsark - A race of crustacean people that live in the oceans. *Muruu-kai - A native species said to be a distant relative of the Vaikan. Non-natives Several alien race can be found living on Ucharpli. *Eteno - Many Eteno began moving to Ucharpli as a result of cultural sharing. *Human - After the Buyuk Empire attacked Gaea, about 10,000 humans moved to Ucharpli making their homes in the province of Spason. Travel warnings Temperature-wise and atmospherically, Ucharpli is comfortable to most carbon-based life. The planet has less oxygen than usual, so some species will require breath masks. However, the weak ozone layer makes Ucharpli extremely vulnerable to UV radiation. Non-native species travelling during the day are advised to wear protective clothing. Ucharpli's native wildlife is very hostile as well. Civilians should stay within the cities and the roads. Those who travel outside are highly advised to carry a weapon. Geological history Gallery Malin.jpg|The mountainous areas of Malin Khather.jpg|A lake in Khather during the summer Islerfia.jpg|A lake in Islerfia SculptingField2.jpg|The Great Sculpting Field Tralgatar.jpg|The jungles of Tralgatar Kytayur.jpg|A river in Feurcy Aggateya.jpg|The Frozen Wasteland Category:Ucharpli Category:Articles by User:Krayfish Category:Planets Category:Post ice-age worlds Category:Karalian worlds